Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-02-26
LONDON LIBRARIES.
They Flourish Among a People will
Leisure for Reading.

| Leisure for Reading.
| From the Philadelphia Record
| Londoners are great reading people. But there
! Is this difference between the English and the
| Americans. In the United states everybody reads.
IN England there is an especial reading class only
VINO most patronize the stalls At least million
| English people from this class are possessed OF
| good incomes. These incomes vary from colossal
| sums, such as the Duke Of Westminster and other
| dukes and duchesses enjoy, down to: the more
modest but comparatively ample income Of q Gu
rates son or daughter whose grandsire or grand
| dam left an annuity. What else have they to do
II they do not read: And reading creates the de-
mand for supplies OF reading matter. Authors are
therefore in great favor here where Reading Is
veritabe profession indeed almost the only Occu-
patton OF a class These facts. after only short
| residence In London, answered my questioning,
| lIbraries?"
First OF all. as being most familiar to Americans,
| There Is Nudes, having three libraries. One
branch Is In King street. Cheapside near the noted
bank OF England Another branch is in Regent
street, In the midst OF ladies' haterdashery shops,
as they call ''stores' for feminine wear here. And
The third, or main one, Is the favorite, and Is in
New oxford street, Immediately In the vicinity OF
Inc British museum, on the next street running
parallel 10 the one Oh which Is the museum. Let me
| remind YOU by the way. that were the books, or
| rather the bookshelves, or the museum stretched
out in line their length would be over 100 miles
There are in all something like SOC, 900 volumes
A copy OF each book published In London must be
deposited IN this treasure trOve of literature But
TO return 10 Nudes. one guinea per annum, ABOUT
s., entities the subscriber TO take out one book at
TO the number of books desired at each selection.
Then there Is the London Library, IL Sc. James
Library you may take eight books day; this costs
three gulneaS year.
Then there is W. c. Smith q Sons, 1856 Strand,
near the noted Charing Cross railway station,
which station Is five minutes walk from the Ma
ttonal Gallery, off Pail Mall, fronting Trafalgar
Square W. C.. Smith was the character study
y1gpll CO.. iV Cnfty fvnH
in Gilbert and Sulliyan's famous comic opera OF
'Pinafore." Mr.. Smith has been secretary OF war,
and was secretary OF the navy, or first lord OF
the admiralty, now leader or the house OF COM
mons.
Nudes is patronized chiefly by novel readers 1t
is one or the sights OF London to people flock
Ing into this place, and at stated times to watch
the packages OF books being done up to send all
over the kingdom. not only England, but Ireland,
Scotland and Wales being yearly patrons OF
Nudes, VINO have their own express, like our
American expresses, engaged in the safe convey
ance or books TO their hundreds OF readers II you
pay five guineas COR $25) per year, you may take
out twenty-five volumes at time during the year.
Every few months they have sale OF books at
abSurdly low prices. In London and the suburbs
they deliver books through town agents. called the
london Book society" Each year catalogue
1of Subscribers IS published at Is 3D., SO cents
This is over 300 pages OF good size The clerks at
Nudes are most polite. They are, as at the Brit
ish museum, mainly gentlemen of good family,
who thus seek To augment u small income Many
an antiquarian stands behind one OF Nudes cOun-
terS
books or reference. Indeed, IT Is sort OF second
British Museum. People go there to read the
magazines newspapers and whatever books they
care 10 consult. The atmosphere is StudouS the
rooms admirably lighted and ventilated. The
ill.iA given IN which 10 read new boOk-one pub
iished within year-iS fourteen DAYS from the
day 10 is taken out. At Smiths I'm the Strand we
do not see such AN aristocrat1c list OF subscribers
as at the ST. James. Smiths is the ravorte library
Tor clerks or better sort, and OF reporters for
heWspapers-the people. in fact TO whom "knOwl-
e'sse Is power, In that they make II so. II the
library falls to have any particular book 1t cheer
fully obtains 1t when asked.
Tue "Ur0ayenOr" is musical library mainly.
People go there, read, ascend the stairs, gaze at
pictures, and descending get luncheon or dinner
as they choose at the Grosyenor cafe or tea
rooms underneath. The cafe is favorite rendeZ-
vOuS for members of the library With all due
prupriety ladies may make Ii place Of meeting
Let me observe parenthetically Ii Is usually bad
form lur ladies' To make appointments at public
library cafes are quite the proper thing. Sub
scrlplons to all The club privileges Of the library
vary iroLn one to four guineas year. The latter
allows ol eight books Ut tiIne together with the
use vi The reference library and writing rooms. IL
has often been asked, why do English writer's
choose To publish their books in three volumes?
Well, as each prominent library takes out 1000
copies OF new book, Dy weli-knuWn writers, the
question Is easily solved.
There are pubic libraries such rs the RetbnaI
UTeti lLt blrNbech library and Scientific inslitu-
tiJh- he BirhbeCh Is Oh ChancerY lane, near the
hdUts 81 law clerks and lawy er, the British lnu-
scum ALREADY referred TO; Gni.dhall library, in
IpI'iOn city proper, and not far off Sion college
-IprtrE, London wall, mainly pajrOnzed by clergy
irii, aad rich in ecclesiastical lore: st Pancras
library, "orkingmenS college library, in Great
oTAlohu street. round about Nudes and the same
III south London at KensingtOn.
mere are 5iAty-eighJ district libraries and there
are huihOcFltao penny reading rooms, even half
penny ones Here, a the names imply, you pay
the small coin To read as long as YOU like 10 q
certain extent the penny reading roollS on the
strand are pstrOniZcd by all CLASSES who drop in
dit Out 10 read up some desired point. There are
bt9idis, the lending paper shops" For penny
you may nave the London Times for hour; also
v jon, Papers at The sumo sum. This paper is
thrte-peHnI, OF SiX-cent, journal.
Ihrrt are 100 periodicals, weeklies, &C., and
ABOUT seventy local or parish papers with neigh
opIHooI news. These parishes correspond some
WHAT To cur American political wards" The ex-
IotehCc OF lOc,I papers Is The explanation OF the
lac mat the es dulles gen1rdlizc in news bud
gets